W House request to be heard by zoning board

The Hagerstown Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled to hold a public hearing Wednesday on a request by the W House of Hagerstown Foundation Inc. for variances for its new building at 519 N. Locust St.

The board meeting is at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Hagerstown City Council chambers.

The substance abuse program for women purchased the 11,000-square-foot property to replace its present 2,500-square-foot home on Antietam Street.

The group wants permission to reduce the number of off-street parking spaces from 10 to six in order to create a courtyard.

The group also wants to erect a fence in front of the front building setback.

The requests have delayed a Hagerstown City Council vote on a W House request for a $350,000 loan from the city for Community Development Block Grant funds.

Some of the residents in the Locust Street area have told council members they oppose W House moving into their area but the group is moving regardless of whether it gets the loan or the variance, Executive Director Christina Trenton said last week.